Our Impact

WHO WE ARE

Brain and Body Foundation Inc. (BBF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a presence in both the United States and Nigeria. Established in June 2015 by Dr. David Adedayo Ajibade, the Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of underserved populations, particularly children living with neurological, developmental, genetic, and other chronic health conditions.

The Foundation was established in response to the significant healthcare challenges faced by families of children with complex medical needs, particularly those who lack the financial resources to access appropriate healthcare, medications, nutritional support, and continuing clinical care.

What began as a weekly free medical clinic for economically disadvantaged families has evolved into a broader healthcare initiative integrating clinical consultations, nutritional interventions, medication support, physical therapy, psychotherapy, health education, research, and community outreach.

The Foundation’s principal areas of focus include childhood neurological and developmental disorders, sickle cell disease, brain health, mental health, and other non-communicable diseases.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND IMPACT

7,400+

Beneficiaries served

$1.5Million

Equivalent of approx. ₦2.02 billion Naira allocated towards free medications (Since 2015)

25,000+

Bottles of CITAMIL distributed

11+

Partners across all 36 states

Each year, 150,000 Nigerian infants are born with sickle cell disease (SCD), and without early care, up to 90% won’t reach age five.

Project SCD Nigeria is BBF’s flagship sickle cell initiative—partnering with Embrace Kids Foundation, Tackle Sickle Cell, the Federal Ministry of Health, and others—to cut childhood mortality and improve quality of life for children with SCD.

From December 2022 to June 2024, we’ve enrolled over 5,000 children on CITAMIL (distributing 25,000+ bottles) and cut crisis‑to‑clinic response times by 40%.

Learn More About Project SCD Nigeria

OUR CORE PROGRAM AREAS

Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease is a major public health challenge in Nigeria and across much of sub-Saharan Africa.

Children living with the condition and their families frequently face recurrent medical complications, substantial healthcare costs, nutritional challenges, and significant disruptions to their quality of life.

Brain and Body Foundation has developed dedicated initiatives to support affected children and improve access to nutritional interventions and health education.

Our initiatives include:

Tackle Sickle Cell

An initiative focused on improving awareness, support, and access to nutritional interventions for children living with sickle cell disease.

Embrace Kids

An initiative directed toward supporting vulnerable children, including those affected by sickle cell disease, through healthcare assistance and related interventions.

CITAMIL

A nutritional formulation containing vitamins C and D3 and zinc, which has been incorporated into the Foundation’s nutritional support initiatives.

Documented achievements

In 2023, the Foundation reported:

  • 1,431 beneficiaries reached.

  • More than 5,700 bottles of CITAMIL distributed.

  • A reported product value exceeding US$100,000.

  • Distribution across seven Nigerian states in 2023.

Earlier Project SCD programmeme updates also recorded activity in more than 25 communities across 16 states. These are programmeme-specific figures and should not be read as the Foundation’s current overall geographical coverage.

Beyond distributing nutritional formulations, the Foundation is interested in investigating nutritional factors that may influence health outcomes among children living with sickle cell disease.

The aim is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the role of nutrition in supporting the health and wellbeing of affected children.

Childhood Neurological and Developmental Disorders

This is where the Foundation began and remains one of its principal areas of intervention.

We support children living with neurological and developmental conditions, particularly those whose families face financial barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare.

Conditions addressed include:

  • Cerebral palsy.

  • Autism spectrum disorders.

  • Epilepsy and seizure disorders.

  • Down syndrome.

  • Other developmental disabilities.

  • Related neurological and genetic conditions.

Our interventions have included clinical consultations, medications, nutritional support, physical therapy, caregiver education, and other supportive services.

We recognise that children living with these conditions often require continuing multidisciplinary care.

Our approach therefore considers the broader health and developmental needs of each child, as well as the practical and emotional challenges experienced by their families.

Brain Health and Neurological Health

Brain health is central to the Foundation’s identity and long-term vision.

The brain is fundamental to human development, cognition, behaviour, movement, communication, and independence.

Neurological disorders can profoundly affect individuals, families, and communities, particularly where access to diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and continuing support is limited.

The Foundation’s interests include:

  • Childhood brain development.

  • Neurological and developmental disorders.

  • Brain nutrition and metabolism.

  • Cognitive health.

  • Dementia awareness and prevention.

  • The relationship between metabolic, cardiovascular, nutritional, and neurological health.

We seek to promote greater awareness of brain health throughout life, emphasizing the importance of early intervention, prevention, nutrition, and appropriate medical care.

Mental Health

Mental health challenges are an important component of the Foundation’s broader public health interests.

Our activities and interests include mental health education, psychotherapy, and nutritional approaches that may complement appropriate clinical management.

Areas of interest include stress-related disorders, emotional wellbeing, and the relationship between mental health and neurological health.

The Foundation recognises the importance of accessible, compassionate, and multidisciplinary approaches to mental healthcare.

Cardiovascular and Other Chronic Diseases

The Foundation’s vision extends beyond childhood neurological disorders and sickle cell disease.

It recognises the substantial burden of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.

Our interest lies in identifying preventive and supportive approaches that can improve health outcomes while remaining accessible to underserved populations.

Nutrition, health education, early intervention, and appropriate clinical care are important components of this work.

OUR TRACTION OVER THE YEARS

Since its establishment in June 2015, Brain and Body Foundation has developed from a weekly free clinic into a broader healthcare and public health initiative.

Our documented accomplishments include:

Overall healthcare impact

  • More than 7,400 children supported.

  • More than $1.5 million USD (approx. ₦2.2 billion Naira) in reported value of free healthcare, medications, education, and outreach.

  • Eleven years of organizational development and healthcare intervention.

Sickle cell interventions

  • 5,700 beneficiaries reached in 2023-2025.

  • More than 25,000 bottles of CITAMIL distributed.

  • More than US$500,000 in reported product value.

  • Distribution across 14 states in Nigeria.

  • Subsequent expansion to more than 25 communities across 26 Nigerian states.

Research and development

  • Development of nutritional intervention initiatives.

  • Research planning and institutional engagement concerning vitamin D3 and sickle cell disease.

  • Continuing interest in evidence-informed approaches to neurological and chronic diseases.

Community engagement

  • Free healthcare services for economically disadvantaged families.

  • Health education and caregiver support.

  • Community outreach and nutritional support.

  • Engagement with healthcare professionals and institutions.

These accomplishments reflect the Foundation’s commitment to making healthcare more accessible and developing interventions that can be extended to populations that are frequently underserved.

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION

Brain and Body Foundation recognises that sustainable improvements in healthcare require cooperation among multiple stakeholders.

Our approach encourages collaboration with:

  • Government ministries and agencies.

  • Hospitals and healthcare institutions.

  • Universities and research organisations.

  • International donors and philanthropic foundations.

  • Nongovernmental organisations.

  • Healthcare professionals.

  • Nutraceutical and healthcare innovators.

  • Community and faith-based organisations.

  • Individuals committed to improving public health.

The Foundation seeks partnerships that can strengthen clinical services, facilitate research, expand community outreach, improve access to safe healthcare interventions, and promote health education.

We particularly welcome collaborations that translate scientific knowledge into practical, affordable solutions for underserved communities.

Current partner organisations and healthcare facilities

The Foundation’s current partner list comprises 13 organisations and healthcare facilities:

  1. Sickle Cell Patient Health Promotion Centre

  2. General Hospital Gwantu

  3. Beulah Sickle Cell Foundation

  4. Maidunama Sickle Cell Foundation

  5. Sickle Cell Warrior’s Healthy Living Foundation

  6. Gold Sickle Cell Foundation

  7. Kathy Life Builder Foundation

  8. Valley of Hope Foundation

  9. Hasiya Bayero Hospital

  10. Embrace Kids Foundation

  11. Crescent Kids Foundation

  12. Gwarimpa General Hospital

  13. Kubwa General Hospital

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Research is an important part of our commitment to identifying better healthcare solutions.

We seek to investigate nutritional and other supportive interventions that are safe, practical, affordable, and supported by appropriate scientific evidence.

Our interests include:

  • Nutritional deficiencies and chronic disease.

  • Vitamin D3 and sickle cell disease.

  • Nutritional interventions in childhood neurological conditions.

  • Brain health and metabolic function.

  • The relationship between nutrition and immune health.

  • Evidence-informed nutraceutical interventions.

Vitamin D3 and Sickle Cell Disease Research Initiative

The Foundation’s published programmeme information records approval for a one-year research project investigating the effects of vitamin D3 and other nutraceuticals on the quality of life of children living with sickle cell disease.

The proposed research reflects the Foundation’s commitment to examining the potential contribution of nutritional interventions to the wellbeing of affected children.

The study’s implementation status, methodology, participating institutions, and findings should be documented in the Foundation’s current research portfolio.

Developing Practical Healthcare Protocols

An important objective of the Foundation is to develop simple but effective healthcare protocols that other practitioners can readily implement.

We believe that effective interventions should not remain confined to specialised hospitals or expensive healthcare facilities.

Where supported by evidence and appropriate clinical oversight, practical interventions should be capable of reaching people in underserved rural and urban communities.

This principle is central to our interest in scalable and sustainable healthcare solutions.